Wire-cutter.



W. T. ONEILL.

WiRE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, Nil?- Lgw fiwo ma ma Jan.15,1918.

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Specification of Letter-s Patent. 1 ind nt d Jan. 15, 1918.

Application filed January 2, 1917. Serial No. 140,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. ONEILL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Nortlack, in the Province of Saskatchewan and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wire-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to bayonets, comprehending particularly a wire cutter attachment therefor.

The primary object of the invention resides in the roduction of a device of the above stated 0 aracter, wherein the wire cut ter is so connected with the bayonet as to not interfere with any proper functions of the bayonet, and further adapted to be arranged on the bayonet for the purpose of quickly and easily cutting barbed wire fences or like obstructions customarily positioned in advance of breast works or fortifications.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character in which the primary thrust of the bayonet will cause insertion of the wirestrands into the cutter and the secondary thrust of the bayonet will operate to automatically sever the strands.

To this end, one extremity of the bayonet is provided with a bearing eye for pivotally connecting the cutter to the hilt of the bayonet and a spring connected with the cutter for tensioning the cutter in order that the latter will assume a spread or open position at all times for receiving the strands of wire during the thrusting act of the bayonet.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts which will hereinafter be more fully set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claim.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bayonet constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the active position of the same;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cutter removed from the bayonet.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts inthe several views, the character 5 denotes a bayonet provided with a hilt 6, one end of the hilt having formed on its protruding extremity a circular bearing eye 7. A threaded pin 8 is inserted transversely through the bearing eye 7 of the hilt for pivotally connecting thereto a wire cutter 9, thus mounting the cutter on thehilt of the bayonet for rocking movement in a vertical plane with the plane of said bayonet. Lodged between the head of the pin 8 and one of the side surfaces of said cutter is a coiled spring 10 and said spring encircles the pin 8 and tends to exert an outward tension on the cutter at all times. The purpose of this action of the spring will be appreciated as the description of the invention is proceeded with. The wire cutter 9 constitutes a flared blade 11 having a convexed edge 12, said edge terminating short of the finger 18 to provide between the finger and the lower edge of the blade a recess 14 in which the strands of wire are positioned to perform the distortion or cutting operation of the same.

In practice, the finger 13 of the cutter contacts with one of the side faces of the bayonet and owing to the tension of the spring 10, retains the blade 9 in an outward flared position with respect to one of the longitudinal edges of said bayonet, hence upon the thrust or insertion of the bayonet within a wire obstruction, will cause the wire strands to contact with the concaved portion 15 of the finger and rock the cutter in a direction toward the opposed edge of the bayonet and by this operation will per mit .of the strand lodging in the recess 14, and by a further thrust of the bayonet, or by the manipulation of the finger 13 in a downward direction, will perform the cutting of the wire at a point between the longitudinal edge of the bayonet and the sharpened edge forming the recess 14.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of, construction and the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and while I have described the principles of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the'device is claimed as new is The combination with a bayonet having its hilt provided with a bearing eye, of a cutter therefor, a pin extending through the bearing eye of the hilt and through said cutter for mounting the cutter on-the hilt end jof the bayonet for, a vertical rocking movement, and a spring embracing said pin for holding the cutter in an outward positi'onivith respect to one of the longitudinal edges of said bayonet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

:WILLIAM T. 0mm;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

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